According to the The A Soft Place To Land Songfacts Edwards' father is Leonard Edwards, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a result she spent portions of her teenage years in Korea and Switzerland. Her blend of country, folk and pop music made her a favourite of music critics, and a rising star on radio in 2003 with her debut album, Failer, made popular by her hit singles "Six O'Clock News" and "Hockey Skates" Her style of music is sometimes placed in the music genre "alt-country".
In 1999, Edwards recorded a six-song EP entitled Building 55 and pressed 500 copies. By the fall of 2000, she was on tour across Canada managing her own gigs. In 2001 she wrote seven of the ten songs for her 2003 debut release Failer.
Edwards married musician and producer Colin Cripps in 2004. They later divorced.
In 2005, Edwards released Back to Me, which also garnered considerable critical acclaim, and led to the release of the singles "Back to Me" and "In State". The track "Summerlong" also featured on the soundtrack of the movie Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst.
In 2006, she was nominated for Juno Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Back to Me.
On March 4, 2008, her new CD, Asking for Flowers, arrived to excellent reviews.
Her fourth album, Voyageur, was released on January 17, 2012.
What Are You Waiting For?
Kathleen Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mistakes made in my old life.
I picked you up that night,
All my wrongs don't make you right.
Silence reminds me,
I'm a secret to dirty to keep.
And we're such a familiar sight,
(Chorus)
What are you still hiding? Are you even trying?
Why have you come? What are you waiting for?
All the words you had,
Planted seeds inside your head.
Just waiting on a rainy day,
Well, I'm standing soaking and you still can't say.
All the dreams you had,
It's been years and you're still mad.
You say you like me in your memory,
You've got to be fucking kidding me.
(Chorus)
Why have you come? What are you waiting for?
And we drive through the old neighborhood,
All the corners where we stood.
An hour passes, you don't even blink.
I'm writing you off and you still can't speak.
Why have you come? What are you waiting for? (x4)
The lyrics of Kathleen Edwards's song What Are You Waiting For? express the frustration and confusion of a person who is trying to understand the intentions of their companion. The first verse talks about how the singer has made mistakes in their past and yet, they have still picked up their current companion. The second verse reveals how the singer has a secret that is far too dirty to keep as it constantly reminds them of their past. Moreover, the singer feels that they have given their word and caused their companion's life to be affected. They feel responsible for their companion's life and hence, confront them by asking them several questions.
The chorus of the song expresses how the singer is tired of their companion's silence and their lack of effort in communicating with them. They question their companion on why they are still hiding and what they are waiting for. The third verse highlights the lack of communication between the two individuals as the singer points out how their companion is unable to express themselves regardless of how long they have known each other. The final chorus confirms the singer's frustration and confusion as they continue to question their companion by asking them what they are waiting for.
Overall, the song portrays the emotions and complexities of a relationship that lacks communication and understanding between the two individuals. It highlights how one's past can cause them to feel responsible for the actions of their current companion while also causing them to be suspicious of their intentions.
Line by Line Meaning
All the things I tried,
Refers to the singer experimenting with different approaches to life
Mistakes made in my old life.
Acknowledges the singer's prior errors
I picked you up that night,
Describes the singer's role in a specific event
All my wrongs don't make you right.
Suggests one person's faults do not excuse or justify another's
Silence reminds me,
Reflects on how quiet surroundings affect the artist
I'm a secret too dirty to keep.
Hints at something scandalous the singer is involved in
And we're such a familiar sight,
Acknowledges the singer's familiarity with another person
I gave you my word and it cost your life.
Describes a promise the artist made which had unfortunate consequences for someone else
What are you still hiding? Are you even trying?
Questions why another person won't reveal something, and if they're actively making an effort to conceal it
Why have you come? What are you waiting for?
An overall theme of the song - a plea to another person asking why they're present and what they want
All the words you had,
Refers to speech another person directed at the singer
Planted seeds inside your head.
Describes how the aforementioned words influenced the artist's thoughts
Just waiting on a rainy day,
Suggests the singer is anticipating something negative happening
Well, I'm standing soaking and you still can't say.
Indicates the person who planted seeds in the singer's head has yet to act
All the dreams you had,
Refers to someone's aspirations
It's been years and you're still mad.
Suggests someone is holding onto resentment for a prolonged period of time
You say you like me in your memory
Implies someone has nostalgic feelings towards the artist
You've got to be fucking kidding me.
Expresses disbelief at the previous line
And we drive through the old neighbourhood,
Describes a physical activity the singer and another person are participating in
All the corners where we stood.
Indicates specific locations that hold significance to those in question
An hour passes, you don't even blink.
Suggests the artist feels time slipping away while the other person remains unaffected
I'm writing you off and you still can't speak.
Indicates the artist is moving on from the other person while they remain silent
Why have you come? What are you waiting for?
Repeats the titular questions, emphasizing their importance to the overall theme
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KATHLEEN MARGARET EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind